Australia’s traditional charity funding model is under strain. Upper GI cancers alone claim more than 10,000 Australian lives each year yet remain historically underfunded relative to their impact.
In April 2026, Par 5 Business, a program of Pancare Foundation, was featured on ABC National Radio, with CEO Doug Hawkins joining Andrew Daddo on ABC Evenings to explain how Par 5 Business is responding with a commercial alternative.
Doug Hawkins brings more than two decades of leadership experience across multinational organisations and now leads Pancare Foundation, supporting Australians affected by upper GI cancers.
Speaking to a national audience, Doug explained how Par 5 Business has flipped the conventional funding model. Rather than asking businesses to donate, Par 5 Business connects a curated network of organisations with corporate procurement opportunities. When those deals are won, a share of the revenue flows directly into upper GI cancer research.
“Cancer is everyone’s business,” Doug said. “Upper GI cancers claim more than 10,000 Australian lives a year. Once you have that conversation, the value of what Par 5 offers becomes very clear.”
Listen to the full ABC Evenings interview below